1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to straddle-type seats for vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recreational vehicles such as snowmobiles, motorcycles, personal watercraft (PWCs), boats, and all terrain vehicles (ATVs) often have straddle-type seats. The performance of such vehicles often depends, in part, on minimizing their weight. To decrease the weight of these recreational vehicles, designers have developed straddle-type seats that comprise a base frame, a lightweight foam such as polyurethane supported by the base frame, and a fabric cover made of a water-proof material such as nylon, vinyl, or leather that covers the foam to discourage the foam from soaking up water.
Snowmobiles, motorcycles, PWCs, boats, and ATVs are operated in areas that present various environmental conditions involving water, snow, dirt, dust and other fine particulate debris. Normal operation of such straddle-seat vehicles kicks up such material, causing the material to deposit on the straddle-seat. Because conventional straddle-type seats are solid, such material disadvantageously builds up on the seat.
Because the riders of these vehicles prefer a dry seat (or at least a seat that can be as dry as possible), interest developed in designing a seat that dries quickly. Such a seat, however, is not known in the prior art.